#earthrunes

If August checks on Zara after that, he finds Buck is gone

Symon is, perhaps, familiar enough at Earthrunes to be allowed to find his own way to the library. If not, he suffers an escort...

Oswald greeted him, but no escort

Symon's sharp senses quickly pick up that he is not without escort.

No, that is the sound of scuttling.

He finds the library easily enough. This hall seems quiet, perhaps by courtesy to the library and the librraian. A kinian of obvious slugh blood is eerrrily silent as she tends to her duties

Her duties at the moment being tea. A tray of supplies, with soggy cucumber sandwiches and curdled cream included.

She moves to the library with this bounty, and delicately arranges it

Zara thanks her. While the maid has brought the hot water, the tea itself comes a carved ivory chest.

"most welcome, anything else, Miss Zara?"

"That shall be all for now, thank you Miss Ivanka."

She puts her hand over her heart, annd slips away

Symon lurks in the doorway, waiting until the maid leaves.

The maid is gone down the hallway

The tea smells delicious - why, it is Symon's favorite variety!

He starts in, then pauses, and blinks. Nostrils flare, and he clearly looks taken aback.

He looks for the Librarian.

The soft scuttle again - a spider caught heading for a refuge out the corner of his eye. Zara is waiting for him by a small table, preparing for tea. "Denier."

The cups of tea are a deep amber, with a fermented, rich and almost fruity scent.

He moves to the table and give a respectful nod, and his eyes go to the teacups.

"Borim-baengmo-cha?" He asks, in whispered, surprised Korean. "How did you...?" He brushes gentle at his shoulders, looking for spies...

"Tea is to honor the guest. Now - to what do I owe the pleasure?" She gestures at one of the seats.

He slides into the chair, and carefully wraps longer fingers around the cup. He sips. "I don't really drink much tea... but... hm." He is impressed, in spite of himself.

"I wanted to ask a Librarian's insight on something I encountered. And wanted this Librarian's discretion."

A brow quirks and she nods. A moment, listening, before - "We are alone."

"You've heard of the events at the Bergen Naming?" He asks.

"Secondhand - boggan murmurs. The Namer was shot at, but survived. I would say shooting at a cluster of Rivervale trolls is folly."

"I'd be surprised if he wasn't protected - a Oakenshield would blunt even a high caliber bullet. I think. Not volunteering to try it. The kids that tackled him - they weren't shielded. Foolish.. no, downright stupid of them."

"You were... a direct witness?" Not entirely a question.

"And Emmitt is no fool, though childlings oft are. But, then, fools and childlings are loved by da'an."

"If -I- was going out of my way to thumb my nose at centuries of Noble privilege - you can be for damn sure I'd have my own protection in place, and not simply trust in the local boss to have my back. But that's just common sense..."

He nods slowly. "I didn't catch the attempt, but there to see the shot, see him go down unharmed. And see the thallain that took the shot get Captain America's with a discus shield."

Brows arch.

"And yes - it is dangerous to be known as a commoner Namer. There are those who would strongly object."

"Dangerous, but important, to have the skill. Going out in the open, now that's the foolish part." He says, then adds, a touch belatedly, "In my opinion."

"Aye." She frowns. "But... a'times, that which is necessary is not wise."

"And better, perhaps, for giants to be open while others stay in the shadow."

"Hmmph." He mutters, "Giants need slugs to keep them in line." Clearly a personal bias.

A sigh. "How well do I know that."

He sips the tea. "What -I- saw was while everyone was fussing." He reaches for a napkin, and on it, carefully traces a symbol with a tea-dampened fingertip, then slides it towards Zara.

"A clue left. Obviously a plant." He makes a flicking motion with his fingers. "But what interested me was the reaction some of the grumps had to the symbol. I wanted to know more."

A soft hiss. "Beltaine Blade."

"Aye - your baroness is Gwydion, and a Troll. She would react badly to that. I would not be surprised if she were not on their watch list. An affront to their ideals twice over, for what she is - and for being good at what she is."

"You may notice I did not indicate it was her reaction." He says, mildly. Also, not saying that it wasn't.

"Oh, now... I imagine twas a clenched jaw and a furrowed brow. What would be a gnashing of teeth in less-statured kiths."

Zara sips her tea. "The Beltaine Blade are a 'secret' society... as if they could veil their contempt and supremacy. They believe, quite simply, in tradition. One rule, and one rule alone - that of time past asunder, that of absolute noble sidhe rule."

Symon snorts a little, then hides it behind a sip of tea.

"Aye. And they will kill for this. Trolls, in particular, are a threat - after all, who so oft took the lead when the elvenkind hid in Arcadia? Who led the Accordance War? Whose blood did the Beltaine Blade spill on the night of iron knives?"

"Easy to believe they'd put a hit on a troll namer. Smart, if they hadn't been so obvious about it."

He tells Zara about how the card was found placed just so.

"Feh. Aye, too obvious."

"But who else benefits?"

He offers to refill her tea cup.

She nods acceptance, as she contemplates.